Shark Bytes

I sure wish Paramount would put the the final 3 seasons out on dvd. This was the best tv western of all time, bar none.

I remember watching the shows as first run when I was a child and I know they influenced me as I grew. Paladin's sense of honor and personal courage were an inspiration to me. I take no shame that the reason I wear a moustache to this day comes from that character. I wish I could see the last three seasons.

I LOVED this show and watched it religiously. Contrary to one poster, I think Richard Boone was handsome in a Charles Bronson, Sam Elliot kind of way. And...hate to admit it but as a teen at the time, I did think his first name was "Wire" :o)

Now that I understand the term, this show never jumped. I didn't see the first runs (wasn't quite born yet), but I did see the early re-runs as a kid and fell in love with the character and the story. Richard Boone was no hot pick as a looker, but his portrayal of that character still makes my heart flutter. No one will ever touch him in that role. I recently started watching the series again through Netflix, and have ordered the Season 3 boxed set. If you've never seen the show, watch it. If you have but it's been a while, do something nice for yourself and watch it again.

My favorite show of all time, but seasons five and six were pretty weak.

I was going to watch all of this program thru my Netflix account. Season One was wonderful: shot outdoors, more or less on location. Season Two was the begining of the end: cost cutting interior scenes on a sound stage with attending limited action.

My older brother used to rave about this show and back in the 90's when they first released it on video tape I started collecting the episodes and all I can say was - man was he right on about this show. I want to be Paladin: urbane, witty, a ladies man, always knowing what to do, never losing his cool, a man capable of violence who doesn't always have to resort to it. And I agree with other posters who comment on how progressive the show was - this show came about decades before political correctness so by today's standards Hey Boy may seem like a stereotype but remember when Paladin helped him out against the railroad company that exploited he and his people? Okay, maybe Howard J Stone was Jewish and from Brooklyn but he was in an episode where he was a Native American trying to live in a white community and all they did was dump on him. I am not bringing these examples up to make fun of the show but to say that in the context of what is out there even today, we could use a few more shows like this - a thinking person's action show.

I started watching this show on th rerun station and I am enjoying this show. I also noticed a pattern. If someone at the beginning of an episode quotes the bible or seems religious, you jnow at the end Paladin will be filling him with lead. It is sort of like the guy in the red shirt on the Away team in Star Trek.

because it was done in black and white, it was believed that his clothing was black, but it was actually navy blue and came from Brooks Bros. ever notice the box pleat on the back of his shirt? great show, now they are going to make a movie, but I don't think we oldtimers are going to like it. Remember the remake of Bounty Hunter, Rutger Hauer played the great grandson of Josh Randall, aka steve mcqueen. my view, make a movie, use someone like Tom Selleck to play Paladin.

Superb on all counts, and never jumped...A comment on one note above: Can you imagine urbane Paladin turning into Hec Ramsey? I think not.

HGWT was a superb show. It never really jumped. What happened was that it ran out of episodes and ideas (what show doesn't?) and Richard Boone got physically and mentally tired doing it. Some shows just have a certain natural lifespan and they end at the right time - HGWT was one of those shows. Yes some shows were better then others but that was to be expeceted.

Richard Boone was perfectly cast, and while some episodes were better than others (name one show where that isn't the case) every show was enjoyable. I had not heard of the lawsuit before and always wondered why this show was not given proper treatment with re-runs. Also, if you are a fan of the TV show you should do yourself a favor and pick up copies of the radio show version of "Have Gun Will Travel" which are readily available. Bucking the trend of the time the TV show actually came before the radio version, but the radio version is still fantastic and John Dehner was perfectly cast as Paladin. I believe the radio version was only on for two or three years, but did provide a final episode in which Paladin leave San Francisco and heads back to Boston. Great show, I wish we could have top notch writing and acting like that with today's programming.

I'd have to say that the show never actually jumped the shark, although there have been reports of a fin sighted in the water by the end of the sixth season. While not all episodes are equally good, none that I can recall were truly embarrassing. Richard Boone and the show's writers created one of the truly enduring characters in TV history. It's a shame the show wasn't syndicated for so many years, and therefore many folks (like myself) were only recently introduced to this gem. Intelligent writing, a memorable character, and a strong but not overbearing moral sense make this show a true classic.

Being one old dude who watched HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL regularly during its first run I'll add my opinion. An argument could be made that this great show is the best western in TV history. It was the thinking man's western. Richard Boone really made this show seem authentic. No shark was ever seen in the general area of HGWT. BTW, the famous theme song, which was played at the end of the show, was written by Pat Boone, Johnny Western, Richard Boone himself, and sung by Johnny Western.

I loved that theme song ,and can sing it almost as well as y'all ! Remember his elegant business card ? Paladin handed it to people at least once every show , and it was flashed by the camera : "HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL ...Wire Paladin - San Francisco" . Does it seem characters had more class in tv shows 40 years ago ? Paladin would frequently quote from the classics .Richard Boone was no pretty boy , however .